John m



(No Model.)

J. M. MARTIN. SADDLE FLAP RETAINER.

No .1567,278 Patented Sept. 8, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC JOHN MJMARTIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SADDLE-FLAP RETAINER- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,278, dated September 8, 1896.

Application filed October 29, 1894:. Serial No. 527,248. (No model.) 4

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Saddle-Flap Retainers, of which the following is a specification. g

The object of my invention is to furnish riding-saddles with a simple and efficient device for holding them close to the side of the horse when they are down and also for sustaining them when raised temporarily to give access to the girth and stirrup buckles, &c.

To this end, and in accordance with my in-- vention, I pivot a rib, by preference of resilient metal, to the saddletree beneath the saddle-flap, near the bending-line thereof, so as to swing in the vertical plane therewith, and secure the face of the rib to the inside of said flap by means of a flat band, in which the rib slides lengthwise along the flap, and I then provide novel means for holding the rib, and hence the flap, in both its raised and its normal (lowered) positions.

The following is a detailed description of the mode in which I carry my invention into effect, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in all the figures'of which like parts are denoted by the same letters.

Figure 1 illustrates my improvement applied to a womans siclesaddle and holding the saddle-flap in a raised position. Fig. 2 illus trates the flap of the same held down by my improvement. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view of the said flap-retainer detached from the saddle. I

A denotes the tree of the sidesaddle thus illustrated, and B the pliable'flap falling over the girth and stirrup adjusting buckles.

To the tree A, directly beneath the flap B and in close proximity to the bending-line of said fiap when raised, I pivot one end of arib C, which I by preference make curved and of thin elastic metal to suit the side of the horse and with a shank D, which is held by the pivot E between cheek-pieces F,formed on a plate G, and I attach said plate G rigidly to the saddletree, as shown. The rib O is thus mounted to swing in the vertical plane with the flap B, and I secure the fiat face of the rib to the inside of the flap by a flat band K, which is attached to the inside of the flap and in which the rib is fitted to slide lengthwise along the flap, so that the rib is practically incorporated with the flap, and yet can play along the same to accommodate the flexing of the strap in being raised.

To secure the rib and hence the flap in both their raised and lowered positions, I fix a stiff spring L to the pivot-plate G of the rib and adapt its free end M to bear strongly, yet yieldingly, against the end of the rib-shank D, which is formed with inner and outer bearings N and O. The spring pressing against .either the bearing N or 0 will serve accordingly to hold the flap stiffly in either its low-- ered or raised position, but will yield to manual pressure on the flap to allow it to swing to either position.

With this improvement a rider can with one hand raise the saddle-flap; to give access to the adjusting-buckles therebeneath, and, the flap being automaticallyretained, he can with the same hand perform the necessary adjustments, after which he can likewise lower the flap, in which position it will be automatically retained, as above described, against the side of the horse.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to. secure by Letters Patent 1. The saddle-flap retainer, consisting of a rib pivoted to the tree and incorporated with the flap, and means, substantially as set forth, for holding saidrib in position.

2. The saddle-flap retainer consisting of an elastic rib pivoted to the tree and incorporated with the flap, and means for holding said rib in position.

The saddle-flap retainer consisting of a rib pivoted to the tree, a band attached to the flap in which the rib is fitted to slide, and means for holding said rib in position.

4.. The saddle-flap retainer consisting of a rib pivoted to the tree and formed with a bearing on its pivotedend, a spring fixed to the tree to press against said bearing, and means, substantially as set forth, incorporating the rib with the flap.

5. The saddle-flap retainer consisting of a In testimony whereof I have hereunto set plate to be attached to the tree, a rib pivoted my hand, in the city, county, and State of to said plate, and formed With inner and outer New York, this 6th day of May, 1894:. hearings on its pivoted end, a retaining-spring 5 on the plate to connect with the said bear- In presence of ings, and a band to incorporate the rib With CHAS. S. PECK, the flap, yet allow it to play thereon. THOS. E. OAHILL.

JOHN M. MARTIN. 

